MGNREGA scheme: FIR against 48 persons for Rs 4 cr scam

Dahod: An FIR has been lodged against 48
persons including post masters, government officials and
village sarpanches, for involvement in scam of over Rs 4 crore
in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
(MGNREGA) Scheme, in Fatehpura taluka here today, police said.

The FIR was lodged after a detailed inquiry by the
district officials following numerous complaints of corruption
in the implementation of MGNREGA in Fatehpura taluka, they
said.

According to the FIR, the accused which include four post
masters, former taluka development officers (TDOs), Deputy
Engineer, revenue officials and Sarpanches of 20 village
panchayats, had siphoned off Rs 4.18 crore of MGNREGA using
forged documents and fake identity cards.

The accused, which also include 11 women sarpanches, in
connivance with each other executed the criminal conspiracy
between September 2009 to June 2010, it said.

No arrests have been made in the case, police said,
adding further investigation was on.

Early this year, eight government officials including
former TDOs and sarpanches of villages were suspended by the
district development officer (DDO), who had also seized other
documents related to the MGNREGA from the taluka officials.